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Quesnel Lake

Coordinates: 52°32′N 121°2′W / 52.533°N 121.033°W / 52.533; -121.033
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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by DiligentDavidG (talk | contribs) at 17:42, 16 July 2016 (added cross link to article on tailings). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Quesnel Lake
Hurricane Point
LocationBritish Columbia
Coordinates52°32′N 121°2′W / 52.533°N 121.033°W / 52.533; -121.033
Typeglacial, fjord lake, oligotrophic[1]
Primary inflowsHorsefly River
Mitchell River
Niagara Creek[1]
Primary outflowsQuesnel River (total 131m3)[1]
Catchment area6,200 km2 (2,400 sq mi)[1]
Basin countriesCanada
Max. length100km From Likely to end of East arm, 48km North Arm
Surface area266 km2 (103 sq mi)[1]
Average depth157 m (515 ft)[1]
Max. depth610 m (2,000 ft)[2]
Water volume41.8 km3 (10.0 cu mi)[1]
Residence time10.1 years[1]
Shore length1323.8 km (201.2 mi)
Surface elevation728 m (2,388 ft)[3]
SettlementsLikely, Horsefly
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Quesnel Lake is a glacial lake or fjord in British Columbia, Canada, and is the major tertiary of the Fraser River. With a maximum depth of 610 meters (although the true maximum depth is unknown), it is the deepest fjord lake in the world, the fifth-deepest lake in BC, and the deepest lake in the Cariboo region.[4] It is claimed to be the deepest fjord lake in the world.[1]

On August 4, 2014, the tailings pond of Mount Polley mine burst, spilling tailings into Polley Lake and Quesnel Lake and temporarily depriving residents of Likely, British Columbia, of fresh water for household use.

Forestry, mining and fishing are popular in this area. Quesnel Lake is also a trophy lake because live bait or barbed hooks are not allowed. Catch-and-release restrictions apply to Steelhead fish less than 10 cm or greater than 50cm. Rainbow trout, dolly varden and other lake trout are common.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Quesnel Lake's heat budget" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 6, 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ http://www.travel-british-columbia.com/cariboo-chilcotin/cariboo/quesnel-lake/
  3. ^ Elevation from Google Earth